GM District X Champions for the first time in 26 years !!!
A comeback like that means each player trusts their teammate. Each player believes if they do their part we still have a chance. Keep believing, keep trusting, we have more-so much more to do!
Pool A
Pool B
Wilmington
GM
Warren
Titusville
FLB
Meadville
Harborcreek
North East
"GM 3-0 in pool play" Semi-Finals - Ft Leboeuf - GM Wins 2-1 Finals - Wilmington - GM Wins 3-2
Overall Record 20-1
GM Champs !!!
General McLane upsets Wilmington, wins District 10 AA volleyball title
By CHUCK PORA - Published: November 02. 2008 12:01AM
MEADVILLE -- Tears flowed freely down the faces of many General McLane volleyball players upon conclusion of Saturday's District 10 Class AA championship game at Meadville High School. But they weren't tears of sadness -- they were tears of jubilation over McLane's emotional come-from-behind 3-2 victory over previously undefeated Wilmington after the Lancers had dropped the first two sets.
"It was so exciting!" Courtney Lydick, an outside hitter for the Lancers, shouted while wiping her eyes. But McLane's spectacular comeback didn't surprise her. "It was incredible, but we've come back like that a couple of times this season, so we're used to the pressure."
Lydick, a lanky junior who plays well above the net, was a major factor in the championship game, recording 30 kills. She had nine kills in McLane's 2-1 semifinal victory over Fort LeBoeuf (15-3), where the Lancers also came from behind after dropping the first set.
"Courtney's a machine," Lancers coach Mike Merriam said. "Her nickname is 'Kills.' And you saw why. She played just great, but they all rallied around each other, and stepped up when the chips were down."
"We worked together as a team, and got it all together just in time," Lydick said. "We wanted this really bad."
Kristen Fritz, a senior middle hitter, said the Lancers (20-1) never gave up against Wilmington (19-1).
"We just all came together and said that we all need to step up," Fritz said. "This all seems so surreal."
Fritz had 14 kills in the championship game, where the Lancers as a team finished with 70. Rachael Ruscitto, with 69 assists, set up many of those kills.
McLane, Fort LeBoeuf advance to semis Lancers finish 3-0, winning 6 of 7 sets
By CHUCK PORA - Published: November 01. 2008 1:26AM
MEADVILLE -- The treat might have been better for General McLane's volleyball players had it been report card day rather than Halloween on Friday.
If so, Lancers' coach Mike Merriam would have awarded each and every one of his girls an "A" at the conclusion of the pool-play round of the District 10 Class AA tournament at Meadville High School. Finishing with a perfect 3-0 record, and winning six of seven sets, the Lancers (18-1) captured the Pool B championship, earning them a trip to today's semifinals.
Merriam said that although he didn't really know what to expect in the tough tournament, he had been hoping that his girls would play as he knew they could. He gave them top grades.
"We knew we had a very good team, but we knew that the other teams were also very good, so we knew that we had to bring our 'A' game," Merriam said. "And fortunately, that's what they brought tonight."
The only real challenge to the Lancers came from Meadville, which beat them 25-22 in the second set of their opening match after McLane had won the first set. The Lancers then finished off the Bulldogs 25-14 in the third set before sweeping Titusville 25-20, 25-13 and North East 25-18, 25-15.
"Our depth came through for us tonight," said Merriam, who used his bench extensively. "Everybody has a job, and they all did it well."
Senior setter Rachael Ruscitto, who had 66 assists on the evening, said that ball movement was key for the Lancers.
"We moved the ball around real well, and we had very good hits," Ruscitto said. "We had the kills and blocks when we needed them, and overall our game was well-rounded."
Junior outside hitter Becca Moore, who had six kills against Titusville and seven against North East, said that McLane's ball movement got its attack going.
"It all starts with the pass, and we passed well to get our hitters going," Moore said.
Meadville (14-3) and LeBoeuf (15-2) each went 2-1 to finish second in their respective pools and advance to today's AA semifinals at 1 p.m. In the semis, Wilmington will face the Bulldogs while the Lancers will meet the Bisons.
The winners will meet for the AA championship at 2 p.m.
GM District X Champions for the first time in 26 years !!!
A comeback like that means each player trusts their teammate. Each player believes if they do their part we still have a chance. Keep believing, keep trusting, we have more-so much more to do!Semi-Finals - Ft Leboeuf - GM Wins 2-1
Finals - Wilmington - GM Wins 3-2
Overall Record 20-1
GM Champs !!!
General McLane upsets Wilmington, wins District 10 AA volleyball title
By CHUCK PORA - Published: November 02. 2008 12:01AM
MEADVILLE -- Tears flowed freely down the faces of many General McLane volleyball players upon conclusion of Saturday's District 10 Class AA championship game at Meadville High School. But they weren't tears of sadness -- they were tears of jubilation over McLane's emotional come-from-behind 3-2 victory over previously undefeated Wilmington after the Lancers had dropped the first two sets.
"It was so exciting!" Courtney Lydick, an outside hitter for the Lancers, shouted while wiping her eyes. But McLane's spectacular comeback didn't surprise her. "It was incredible, but we've come back like that a couple of times this season, so we're used to the pressure."
Lydick, a lanky junior who plays well above the net, was a major factor in the championship game, recording 30 kills. She had nine kills in McLane's 2-1 semifinal victory over Fort LeBoeuf (15-3), where the Lancers also came from behind after dropping the first set.
"Courtney's a machine," Lancers coach Mike Merriam said. "Her nickname is 'Kills.' And you saw why. She played just great, but they all rallied around each other, and stepped up when the chips were down."
"We worked together as a team, and got it all together just in time," Lydick said. "We wanted this really bad."
Kristen Fritz, a senior middle hitter, said the Lancers (20-1) never gave up against Wilmington (19-1).
"We just all came together and said that we all need to step up," Fritz said. "This all seems so surreal."
Fritz had 14 kills in the championship game, where the Lancers as a team finished with 70. Rachael Ruscitto, with 69 assists, set up many of those kills.
McLane, Fort LeBoeuf advance to semis
Lancers finish 3-0, winning 6 of 7 sets
By CHUCK PORA - Published: November 01. 2008 1:26AM
MEADVILLE -- The treat might have been better for General McLane's volleyball players had it been report card day rather than Halloween on Friday.
If so, Lancers' coach Mike Merriam would have awarded each and every one of his girls an "A" at the conclusion of the pool-play round of the District 10 Class AA tournament at Meadville High School. Finishing with a perfect 3-0 record, and winning six of seven sets, the Lancers (18-1) captured the Pool B championship, earning them a trip to today's semifinals.
Merriam said that although he didn't really know what to expect in the tough tournament, he had been hoping that his girls would play as he knew they could. He gave them top grades.
"We knew we had a very good team, but we knew that the other teams were also very good, so we knew that we had to bring our 'A' game," Merriam said. "And fortunately, that's what they brought tonight."
The only real challenge to the Lancers came from Meadville, which beat them 25-22 in the second set of their opening match after McLane had won the first set. The Lancers then finished off the Bulldogs 25-14 in the third set before sweeping Titusville 25-20, 25-13 and North East 25-18, 25-15.
"Our depth came through for us tonight," said Merriam, who used his bench extensively. "Everybody has a job, and they all did it well."
Senior setter Rachael Ruscitto, who had 66 assists on the evening, said that ball movement was key for the Lancers.
"We moved the ball around real well, and we had very good hits," Ruscitto said. "We had the kills and blocks when we needed them, and overall our game was well-rounded."
Junior outside hitter Becca Moore, who had six kills against Titusville and seven against North East, said that McLane's ball movement got its attack going.
"It all starts with the pass, and we passed well to get our hitters going," Moore said.
Meadville (14-3) and LeBoeuf (15-2) each went 2-1 to finish second in their respective pools and advance to today's AA semifinals at 1 p.m. In the semis, Wilmington will face the Bulldogs while the Lancers will meet the Bisons.
The winners will meet for the AA championship at 2 p.m.